Laurie Ishii

Okay, this one’s gonna be a long one. So, real quick – please pray for
Kristine, the transgender I spoke with last week, Jackie a homeless
woman I prayed with yesterday while waiting for the bus, Ernest a 60
year old homeless man with MS and a vietnam vet and of course, G – and
a guy in jail with him named Chuck. Also pray for a guy who goes by
Suki – he works with Daryl and he’s a bodyguard for strippers.

Here’s the details…

Last night at church (Angelus Temple) I saw Richard, who came up and
told me what happened with Kristine. I’m so sad for him but I believe
that God has a hold on him. Richard said that Kristine kept calling
him and after talking to him for a bit Kristine decided he wanted to
go to the Dream Center so Richard picked him up downtown. Richard said
that Kristine was prayed for and prayed over and that he (Kristine)
said he felt so much better. But then he left after a few days.
Richard said he was trying to get a hold of me but Richard didn’t have
my number…and now when I call Kristine’s number there’s a different
voicemail than before. So I don’t know where he is or what’s happening
wiith him.

Then there’s Jackie – I was waiting for the bus to go to the dentist
and I saw a bunch (10-15) of homeless people hanging out on Western
and Sunset on the wall. I decided to go and talk to them. I’ve decided
that I am going to keep my purple haircolor and just make sure not to
get it on my scalp or on my skin – cause I’ve noticed everytime I go
to see G at the jail I always get black ladies that come up and start
asking me about my haircolor and I get a chance to talk to them.
Anyway, there were quite a few women hanging out on the wall, and one
of the women was named Jackie. She happened to be the only white lady
there.

She asked me if I knew a place that would take in a woman who was
trying to get her kid back (long story, I won’t go into it) and after
talking for a while I asked Jackie if she had a personal relationship
with God. She sort of chuckled and looked away…and then said that
she was homosexual and she knew that church people don’t like
homosexuals. I told her that God loves homosexuals, and that God loves
her.

But I also told her that I believed that hoosexuality is a sin, the
bible says it is a sin – God says it’s a sin, like stealing,
lying…she interrupted, “Like stealing?” She kind of laughed – okay,
my point being that sin is sin with God – He doesn’t ‘categorize’ some
sin as being worse than others. She understood. She didn’t dispute
about the fact that homosexuality being a sin either.

She told me her story – it was so sad – she said that she was a
Christian for 8 months one time…she said she even went street
witnessing. But she was 17 years old and met a lady in church who had
been there for 5 years and she didn’t know how it happened, but she
and this lady messed around – the first time she’d ever had sex with a
woman. Then people found out somehow and they started blaming Jackie
and kicked her out of the church and she never went back. How sad is
that? That’s so messed up!

I felt so bad for her. Anyway, she asked me if I used to go to the
Rainbow (yes, I practically lived there in my addiction) and she said
she thought I looked familiar. Wow. Anyway, she let me and this other
guy (he came by street witnessing to addicts and telling them about a
recovery home) pray with her. I gave her my number and had to jump on
the bus. (I’d already missed two) I hope to see her again. Please pray
for her – she’s 50 years old, and she’s sharp – she looks good.

Then there’s Ernest, who I met at Angelus Temple last night. Oh! I
love this guy! He’s a 60 year old black man – so sweet. He’s got it
all up there too – he’s nice, funny – my heart is broken for him.
Anyway, after I ushered and brought the offering downstairs with the
rest of the ushers Ernest came up to me and asked if I could help him
fill out his first time vistors card cause he coudn’t see. I said
sure, and filled it out for him.

At first he was pretty shy, but after 10 minutes or so we were
laughing and joking like old friends. He asked me if I had anything to
snack on, and I had some peanuts in my purse – and he pointed to his
mouth to show me that he had no teeth. I laughed, said “Oops” and
asked if he wanted an apple. Hahaha he said that was mean but we were
cracking up and he said thanks for the humor and laughing with him.
Instead I told him that I had a $5 in my purse so I’d give it to him
and also gave him a card for the recovery place I’d heard about from
the guy who prayed with me for Jackie. (Unfortunately the Dream Center
won’t take anyone over 55) I went and got my purse and looked for
my five dolar bill but couldn’t find it. I only had a $20 – so I gave
it to him. He was sooooo grateful! It blessed me so much just to see
him smile. I hope and pray that I see Ernest again. Please pray that
he will find a home.

When Ernest and I were parting ways and I was going back into the
church service – a guy came up to me and said him and asked if I
remembered him…he actually met me 7 years ago on Hollywood Blvd.
when I was on dope and panhandling money. His name was Emilio and he
had been at the Dream Center in discipleship years ago. He recognized
me back then – we talked briefly but not much cause he wasn’t allowed
cause he was a disciple. Crazy! I vaguely remembered him, I let him
come over to me and my then boyfriend’s apartment (he was at work)
just to get high (cause Emilio had speed and I didn’t have anything
but I panhandled money to give him for some speed)and then he said
that I told him he had to go cause I needed to go make more money for
more dope before my boyfriend got home. Trip.

I missed the entire church service, but was so blessed noetheless.

Now to my visit with G today. It was great – it’s much better to visit
him on days where only the trustees can visit – there’s hardly anyone
there and not much of a wait. Well, we had a good talk, it seemed like
they gave us more time – probably about 45 minutes. I really feel like
God is doing a heart change – it seems to be pretty gradual – but
there’s just things that he’s said that I can see a change in his
thinking. I can’t put my finger on it or say that it’s a radical
change – but it’s a change.

He has one guy he’s been hanging out with playing chess – they know
some of the same people – this guy’s name is Chuck – please pray for
him. Chuck is 44 years old, never had kids until recently and got
busted for selling dope. G said that Chuck is so sorry – he said that
Chuck said that he is “So DONE.” G said that Chuck is turning his life
around and that G let Chuck use the bible I sent him and that Chuck
falls asleep with it on his chest. I’m gonna send G another bible and
let Chuck keep the other one.

G also said that he got the pimp tracts I sent him – I didn’t think
the cops would give them to him but they did – and I sent him a few of
them. G said he handed them out to some of the guys and they loved
them! He said they asked him where they got them and G told them that
he got them from us – and that we put God into the Game and that they
tought it was so cool.

He also got another book I sent him – testimony of a Muslim terrorist
who got saved…and a couple of other letters… while we talked, it
was so cool…he spoke of how he probably should have quit (pimping)
years ago when this one girl died (they got into a car accident on the
way back from Phoenix and G walked away without a scratch while she
died) and I told him that it wasn’t too late for him to make a new
start…

Then we spoke of another older pimp, CH – and G said he thought about
how it would be when he turns 50 – did he want to be like that at 50?
Cause CH is having a hard time these days… I told him that CH said
to me, “You really want G to be a Christian, don’t you?” I said, “Of
course I do – and you too – not for me, but for you and him!” I told G
that once he becomes a Christian he’s gonnd have his friends really
watching him to see if he’s for real… and that they may not admit
it, but deep inside they want to see if this ‘Christianity works’ -
because it will give them hope too. Then G said that at the picnic the
pimps had for him before he went to jail, he told them that he went to
church and that he wasn’t expecting the reaction he got. He said the
guys were in shock – and he told them, “And I’m probably gonna go
again tomorrow too.” Then he said he counted how many of them were
there – and he counted 45. I was telling him that he would influence
so many people for good when he gives his life to God!!!

We talked a bit about the Players Ball and he said that he doesn’t
like the way it glamorizes pimping and prostituting… that if people
are gonna tell about the game then they should tell EVERYTHING – about
how it affects the girls and even guys like him…

There’s so much more we talked about but man, I just see God working.
Thanks so much for your prayers. I can’t wait till the day when I can
tell you that G has totally stepped over the line and gave his life to
Jesus. It will be soon….